1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a pillow for supporting and fixing the shoulders of an examination subject in the housing of a shoulder coil in a magnetic resonance apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In magnetic resonance data acquisitions, the shoulders of the subject must be supported and fixed comfortably. Furthermore it is important for a specific distance to be maintained between the inner surface of a shoulder coil and the shoulders, in order to minimize unwanted signals that originate from the subcutaneous fat layer of the shoulders. There have previously been no standardized, commercially produced solutions in order to satisfy the above conditions. Makeshift solutions such as hand towels or foam padding that were not tailored to the shape of the inner surface of the shoulder coil have been used.
The problem is thus that the aforementioned makeshift solutions do not represent uniform, reproducible devices in order to fix the shoulders at a fixed, optimal distance from the inner surface of the shoulder coil.